


Team Free Will 3.0

by Shoeless_Sam



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherly Love, Case Fic, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Cute, Castiel is Missing, Cute Jack, Cute Jack Kline, Dean Freaks Out, Dean Winchester Loves The Impala, F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Jack Crack, Jack Has Powers, Jack Kline & Sam Winchester Friendship, Jack being Jack, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent-Child Relationship, Plot Twists, Poor Jack, Post-Season/Series 13, Suspicions, Tags Are Fun, Weirdness, Wholesome Jack Crack, Wholesome Jack content, connected cases, jack drives the impala, sam probably ships destiel, vamp case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-06-01 10:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15141491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoeless_Sam/pseuds/Shoeless_Sam
Summary: Following the ordeal with Michael and the issue of getting Jack's powers back, the boys finally are back to the usual -- monster hunts. And they are more than ready for a win. But nothing comes easy for Winchesters.Soon they're on their way to fighting a big bad, making new friends, and lots and lots of sacrifices. Get ready for the plot twists.





	1. A Moose, A Squirrel, And A Half-Angel Kid To Save The Day

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at descriptions, but oh well. 
> 
> Basically I wanted team free will to include a girl, so here's this.
> 
> Enjoy!

“So get this-” Sam started, hunched over his computer reading news reports. He was sitting in the Men of Letters library with Dean across from him, both rummaging through old files trying to organize them. Jack was in his room watching Netflix, which the boys had accidently exposed him to. Mary was off on her own case, something about a werewolf. And Cas was off on ‘Heaven Duty’, which was no surprise to anyone.

Once he knew he had Dean’s attention, Sam continued, “Manning, Colorado. Seven deaths all occurring within a thirty mile radius; some ripped apart, some just barely injured, but all with their blood completely drained.”

Dean pushed the files aside, now interested. He’d been dying for an easy case, a win, something to get his mind off of douchey angels and conniving demons. “So standard vamp attack. What do the police think?”

“They’re thinking serial murderer, psychopath, that sort of thing.” The younger hunter clicked some keys on his computer, bringing up another news article. “They have no clear description of the guy, but I think I might have a lead.” Sam turned the computer around to show Dean the news article he found. “Apparently in the same area, there’s a missing persons case.”

“Okay, what do we know?” Dean wondered. He hoped it was still just a normal vamp attack, not some cryptic puzzle of murders that would end up being a big bad.

Sam twisted the computer around to face him again, scrolling through the article again. “Well, there isn’t much information put out. She’s a minor, so sealed records. Her name’s Celeste Azariah, seventeen years old. Disappeared from her foster parents’ house two days ago. Most likely kidnapped.” 

     “And the parents?”

     Sam glanced at the article again to confirm his answer. “Dead, as well as another body that was found in the house. The police are still trying to figure out who it is.”

Dean thought it over a minute before responding, “You think this s connected to the vamp case?”

“We’ve gone on less.” Sam reminded Dean, scrolling through the news report some more. “Besides, we at least have a vamp case.”

“They could have been recruiting -- they could have turned her already,” Dean thought aloud as he leaned back in his chair. Sam shrugged in response. Dean shook his head unsatisfied. “but it could just be a normal kidnapping.”

“It’s hard to say. We won’t know until we’re down there.” Sam shut his computer, waiting for Dean to lead the way.

“We’ll check it out.” Dean took charged, standing and already starting to walk away. “I’ll grab the keys and the kid. Meet me out front?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean sat in the front seat of the Impala waiting for Sam to finish loading up supplies. It was nearing midnight, the sky as dark as a demon’s eyes. It would take a little over 7 hours to get to Manning, minus stops for snacks and gas, leaving just enough time to arrive at a decent hour. Jack hesitantly slid into shotgun, the place only reserved for Sam. Neither spoke for a moment, before Dean realized Jack must have gotten the social grace of most angels. Particularly that of a trenchcoated one.

“Why are you here, kid?”

“I guess that’s the question all creatures try to find the answer to; for me, I can’t say. What about you, Dean?” Leave it to immortal beings to be the definition of awkward.

“ _ I mean _ : why are you here, sitting in the passenger seat, talking to me,” Dean explained in a way he thought a small child might need to be spoken to. “What do you want?”

“I noticed it would be a long drive; through the middle of the night,” Jack acknowledged, dragging out his question as much as he could. “Since I don’t sleep much I thought maybe I could drive; let you guys sleep.”

“Are you seriously asking to drive Baby?” Dean instinctively took the keys and tucked them in his pocket. “No one drives my baby. Especially someone who isn’t even a year old.”

Sam appeared beside the car, leaning into the window on Jack’s side. “Come on, Dean. He’s right.” That earned a good huff from his brother. “If we try to drive all the way, by the time we get there we’ll just need to go to a motel.” Dean was overly possessive of his car, but he couldn’t discount the truth.

“He doesn’t know how to drive a car,” Dean offered, hoping that they would leave it at that.

Sam looked between the two boys, running a hand through his overgrown hair. Whatever he said, someone would be upset. “Actually, he does know how to drive -- kind of.”

“ _ Kind of  _ isn’t good enough,” Dean retorted, and was going to change subjects before realization washed over him. “Wait -- since when does Jack know how to drive?”

“I’ve sort of been teaching him?” Sam took a long pause before continuing, “In the Impala.” Dean was more than just a little angry now. He couldn’t believe his brother was making decisions for his baby.

“You’ve been teaching a toddler to drive  _ my  _ car?”

Sam gave Dean the classic bitchface. They had discussed before about getting angry in front of Jack, and had both agreed it wasn’t good for him. Partially because he kept flying away. “He’s good, Dean. We could even practice a bit before we leave.”

He hated that Sam thought he could teach Jack to drive without his permission, but now he had no choice. If he didn’t let Jack drive, he’d have a mad moose and a sad half-angel kid -- not good territory.

“Fine, but he’s not driving unless it’s perfect. I want no scratches on my Baby.” He took the keys out of his pocket, handing them to Jack. “Don’t hurt her.” He reluctantly got out of the car. “I need a beer for this.” And with that, he was out of sight.

“Move over,” Sam instructed as he slid into the passenger seat. “You remember what to do. Keys in the ignition.”

“Are you sure Dean is okay with this?” The amount Jack worried about how Dean thought of him, made it hard to believe he was one of the most powerful beings alive.

“He’ll live,” Sam affirmed. Even though it was hard to tell if he could survive this. Dean had had a panic attack the time Bela stole it. And when Sam had asked one time what he would do if someone stole it, the answer had been a bit terrifying  “Just don’t crash.” Sam tried to give an encouraging smile.

Sam went over the basics with Jack while they waited for Dean; which pedal was gas, which one wasn’t, how to control the music, which music to play since Dean was so picky, what the normal speed limit was, the important stuff.

Once Dean finally got back he was halfway through a beer, and held another one he was definitely saving for later -- Jack was ready to show Dean his driving. Sam insited Dean sit in the backseat so his constant nitpicking wouldn’t make Jack any more nervous. Dean made a big show of it all. Sighing loudly and slamming the door.

But Sam just brushed it off, “Ignore him, Jack. You can do this.” Jack followed his previous instructions: he turned the key in the ignition, and the car roared to life. The familiar, low purr of the engine breaking the night’s silence.

Dean finished off his first beer, bracing himself for the rough driving all new drivers exhibited. He remembered back to the time when Sam was first learning to drive. The stop and go, causing dean to sway in his seat .

Jack pushed on the gas, causing the car to jerk forward. It was a bit too much, but he quickly fixed the amount of power. He didn’t stop once as Sam directed him to turn left, then right, then a U turn. It was practically flawless, even though Dean pointed out tons of ‘mistakes’.

“I think we’re ready to hit the road,” Sam declared. He gave Jack an encouraging smile and pat on the shoulder. “What do you say, Dean?”

Dean could never admit Jack drove almost as well as him. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay awake for the drive. “It’s fine,” Dean grumbled. “he can drive…  I guess.”

Jack nodded, hesitant at first to turn onto the real, open road. Sam gave him one more look of encouragement, and they were off.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam slowly opened his eyes, blinded by the rising sun streaming in through the car’s window. He must have dozed off at some point during the night. Jack had parked the car along a quiet neighborhood street, and was now looking at the Winchester tape collection. Dean was in the backseat, knocked out. Sam couldn’t help but laugh, his brother actually thought he could drive all the way here and stay awake.

“You’re awake,” Jack stated, as he put the tape collection back away before Dean woke up and noticed. “We’re at the address you gave me. Maybe you should wake up Dean?” The way Jack said ‘you’ made it very clear he remembered the last time he woke Dean up.

The hunter looked back at his brother before turning his attention to the house. It was swarming with police officers and news reporters already despite the early hour. “Sure. Make sure we have everything we need,” Sam suggested. Jack agreed, leaving the car to locate the fake IDs that were stashed in the trunk. Sam leaned over the seat to nudge Dean.

He startled awake, confusion clear on his face. Once he settled down, Dean sat up and started looking around. “Where are we?”

“The girl’s house, where the kidnapping took place,” Sam explained, as he got out of the Impala.

Dean followed, confusion clearly painted on his face. “The girl? We don’t even know if there’s anything supernatural behind it. We have a clear vamp case, we should focus on that.”

“We should at least rule this out or not before we try to locate a vamp that could have a small army waiting for us.” Dean shot his brother a look, which Sam brushed off with a look of his own. “We’ll go to the station and coroner’s office after.” 

Jack came back around with the IDs in hand, passing one to Sam, and the next to Dean, before putting one in his own pocket. Dean had been nice enough to get one for him, since he was tagging along on more and more cases. He tried not to make a big deal of it, but Dean hardly showed his soft side. Especially for Jack. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Dean charged forward towards the house, confidence oozing off of him. He was still dressed in his usually layers; black shirt, plaid button-up unbuttoned, and leather jacket to top it all off. Sam and Jack were also both in their usual attire, since they still hadn’t stopped at a motel to change. 

Before Dean was able to get into the house, all three boys were stopped by an older-looking woman dressed in a fancy shirt and blouse. The woman was graying, but still had thick, glossy black hair pulled into a neat ponytail. Her unwelcome expression seemed to make her small size seem much larger. 

“This is a closed crime scene,” the woman scolded, the unwelcome expression turning into a condescending one. “you three need to leave the premise, before I get someone to escort you, and your cheap car, away.”

“Cheap?  _ Cheap _ ?!” Dean couldn’t handle this. He was having a panic attack. No, he was dying. He had to bend over to not explode. In and out. In and out. Sam put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, pulling him up. “Did you hear what she said, Sam?”

Sam gave the woman a nervous smile, trying to make up for his brother’s scene. “Sorry for my partner; family heirloom and all that.” He dug his badge out of his pocket, handing it over to the woman. “FBI, m’am. Agent Gibbs.”

The woman scanned the badge before handing it back. “Well, Agent Gibbs, can you get your partner to stop crying like a baby and show me his badge? And on top of that, explain to me why you brought a teenager with you to a crime scene?”

“I am not ‘crying like a baby’.” Dean demanded, sounding less than convincing given he was still mildly freaking out about Baby being called cheap. He angrily handed his badge over, which she took her time looking over before handing it back.

“This is Jack,” Sam interrupted. “He’s a trainee.” Sam patted Jack’s shoulder, prompting him to hand over his badge. The half-angel kid gave an adorable smile while doing so.

“Hello.” Jack said politely.

The woman gave Jack a once over before crossing her arms over her chest. “Jack, is it?” The woman questioned. Jack nodded. She turned her attention and sharp eyes on the boys. “Kind of unusual to bring a trainee to a crime scene this rough.”

“He’s my son,” Sam started to explain, putting an arm around his shoulder. “You know how it is, want them trained right, you have to do it yourself.” Jack gave her a sincere smile trying to win her over. Sam had been going over good lies with Jack that he could give incase they ever had trouble convincing anyone.

Dean had a hard time hiding his confusion, he had been out of the loop on a lot of stuff Sam and Jack had been doing. But the older hunter also couldn’t hide the fact he was impressed with the lie. It wasn’t half bad.

“Fine, Just don’t give me reason to escort you off the premises.” Sam and Jack gave their charming smiles, as the three boys headed toward the house. The woman rested her hand on Jack’s shoulder just before he was out of reach. Sam and Dean stopped walking to assess the situation. “Don’t touch anything. I’ll be watching you.” The woman gave a fake smile.

Jack dismissed the unsettling feeling he had in his stomach, walking back towards the boys, and into the house. Time to crack this case.

 


	2. It Isn't a Case Till It's Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little more complicated once the boys look around the house...

The suffocating aroma of death welcomed the boys as they finally walked into the house. It was just as busy as the outside; a pair of officers talking in the hallway, people gathered in the living room, the forensics team standing by a body covered by a white sheet in the kitchen, and on top of that a bunch of people walking in and out of the house.

Dean took his time, scanning the photos on the wall. The sam middle-aged woman and slightly older man were in almost every photo. The other people in the photo always changed, never the same person twice. Ranging from children to adults. But they always looked happy. Dean averted his eyes.

Sam led the way, choosing to talk to the police officers first, the other boys hot on his heels. Reaching the officers, Sam spoke first, “Agent Gibbs and Holt. FBI. What can you tell us about the family?”

The older of the two gentleman spoke first, “It’s a small community here. I knew the Crofts very well -- saw them at church every Sunday.” He dug his hands in the pockets of his pants, looking into the kitchen where the dead body was with unfocused eyes. “It’s a real shame.” Sam nodded, giving a sympathetic smile.

Dean cut in, ready to get to the point, “Those photos over there,” He pointed back to the photos he looked at when they first walked in. “-are those the Crofts?”

The same man spoke again, “Yes. Leslie and Benjamin Croft.” He glanced at the photos, tears brimming his eyes. “They took photos with all their foster kids and hung them on the wall, to show they were really part of the family.”

“What about Celeste?” Sam inquired. “Is her photo up there?”

This time the younger officer answered, “She wasn’t with the Crofts too long, not more than a few weeks; they never got the chance.” The young officer dug into his pocket, pulling something out. “This is Celeste.”

The something, which was a small polaroid-type photo, was handed over to Sam. The girl in the photo was smiling, light brown hair pulled into a neat braid, but the smile didn’t reach her amber eyes. Sam made sure the other boys saw it as well, before passing it back. 

“So -- seventeen year old girl, supposedly kidnapped. Why wouldn’t they have just killed her?” Dean asked, catching eyes with the woman from outside. She was standing a bit away, but her eyes were stuck on the boys. Dean tried to give a friendly smile before he turned away.

“We’re not sure.” The younger officer answered honestly. “She was a foster kid, given up years ago. No traces of any family -- especially not any who would kidnap her.”

“We just pray to God, she’s safe.” the other officer broke in. Sam and Jack both nodded in agreement, but Dean had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Don’t get him wrong, he hoped the girl was safe too. But it wasn’t like God cared. Chuck wouldn’t even show up for the apocalypse, let alone worry about a random foster kid.

Dean started off in the direction of the forensics team. Sam gave a polite nod and thanked the men before he and Jack followed behind. Before Dean could actually reach the forensics team, Sam stopped Dean. “Why are you acting so weird?”

Dean shot a look over his shoulder to where the woman was standing -- still staring the boys down. “The woman from outside; she’s been staring us down the whole time we’ve been here.”

An uneasy feeling crept into Sam’s stomach as he looked over his own shoulder for the women. “We’ll make it fast.” 

The boys finished the walk to the forensics team. It was another pair of people, this time a young woman and a slightly older man.

Dean spoke first, directing his attention to the woman, “FBI. Holt, Gibbs, ride-along.” Dean took a moment to look the girl up and down. “You can call me Dean.” He gave his perfected smile, sure to make any girl swoon.

She looked down at the floor as a blush crept onto her face. “Ana, it’s nice to meet you.”

Sam cleared his throat, leaning down to the sheet-covered body. “What do we know about the victims?” 

The other forensics member -- the guy -- crouched down as well, uncovering the body. Cold, lifeless eyes stared up at the boys. He wasn’t from any of the photos on the wall. As the sheet was pushed away farther, it became clear that the guy’s head was neatly chopped off. Sam and Dean immediately looked to each other, surprise clear on their faces. 

“We’re not exactly sure who he is, or why he was here.” the guy explained. “He didn’t have any personal items on him, so we’re sending his prints to the lab.”

“Do you think John Doe was with the kidnappers, or just a visitor?” Dean asked, catching eyes with Ana who was staring at him. He gave her another smile, prompting another blush.

“It wouldn’t really make sense if he was with the kidnappers. Because of the cause of death.” She gestured down to the body, but her eyes were still locked onto the older hunter. “Probably just a family friend, or maybe relative?”

“We won’t know until we get the prints back,” the male forensic member finished for her. “Unless you guys want to take pictures, I’m going to cover the body back up.”

“Actually, we should,” Sam agreed, taking out his phone to snap a photo of the gruesome scene. Sam tucked his phone back as he stood upright again. While doing so, he locked eyes with the woman from before. She was now standing by the door to the kitchen, so it was obvious she was following them. She wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore. “Thanks. Anything else you know about the victims?”

“Well, there isn’t much to see for the others. Just drained blood, no chopped off heads.” He gave a strained laugh. “It’s weird.”

“Thanks, guys,” Dean offered, trying to get them away so they could properly look at the body. “And thank  _ you _ , Ana.”

“No problem,” she smiled. “You should probably take my number, in case you have any questions.” 

“That would be perfect.” The older hunter handed his phone over with another award winning smile. She gave a fake little laugh, gleefully typing in her number. 

“Or you know, if you wanted to just hang out. Not for the case. If you want.” She stepped forward to invade Dean’s personal space and tuck the phone back in Dean’s shirt pocket, stopping when it dinged signaling a text. Ana raised the phone, “Cas?”

Dean grabbed the phone out of her hand, before she could read any of it. Sam peeked over his brother’s shoulder, reading it aloud in his Cas voice, “‘Hello, Dean. Are we up for our usual netflix and chill?’” God, he was trying to use cool lingo again. The look of confusion and anger that crossed Dean’s face, made it hard for Sam to keep in his laughter.

The girl took a step back from the hunter. “Is Cas your girlfriend?” Dean huffed. While he fumbled for an explanation, his phone started ringing. 

Sam took the phone out of his hands. “Looks like your husband’s calling. Don’t worry I’ll get it.” He answered the call, walking away from the group.

“Husband?” Ana sputtered. “I’m sorry for stepping over any boundaries. I must have gotten the wrong impression.” She let out a nervous laugh, stepping farther away from the hunter.

“I wouldn’t really call it that,” Dean tried explaining, as Sam came back. “He’s just messing around.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Sam joked, handing the phone back to his brother. “He was just calling to check on you. It’s a very committed relationship.”

“You son of a bitch, shut your mouth,” he warned. He turned his attention back to Ana. “Sorry about my partner. What he  _ means  _ is-”

“It’s fine. It’s my fault,” Ana chattered. Now she turned her attention to the taller hunter, eyes wide with excitement. “I bet they’re just adorable together -- the way Dean gets so flustered talking about him. Could I see a picture of Cas?”

Dean was probably going to kill him for this, but Sam was having fun. More fun than they’ve had in years. “Of course,” Sam chuckled, pulling out his phone and bringing up a picture he’d secretly taken a few weeks ago. It was a picture of Dean and Cas watching TV. Dean had his arm thrown around Cas and was pointing to the TV, trying to explain why Dr. Sexy was the best doctor ever.

“Awwwww,” she cooed, looking down at the photo. “I’m so sorry for trying to make a move. I didn’t know. Tell Cas he’s a lucky guy.” And with that she left with the other forensics member.

“What was that,” Dean snapped, and Sam couldn’t help but laugh. “Why did you and Cas cockblock me?”

“We’re on a case. We should focus,” Sam explained. He still was laughing, but Dean’s look made him quiet down. “What? You’ve been huffing and puffing all day. What’s got your panties in a bunch? Something wrong with the husband?” 

“Shut up or I’ll make you shut up,” Dean warned. “I have not been huffing and puffing all day.” Dean mocked, using quotation fingers. That earned him a good bitch face. He ignored his brother, crouching down to inspect the body. 

The head had been chopped off so cleanly, it was hard to believe it might have been done by a human. “So,” Dean changed the subject. “... something tells me this wasn’t some friend or relative caught in crossfire.” Dean pulled up the guy’s upper lip, to examine his teeth. Sure enough, when he applied pressure in the right area, fangs popped out. 

“Vampire,” Sam stated in a whisper. “That means this was done by a hunter. Then the rest of them probably kidnapped the girl since they couldn’t drain her here.”

“Or she was a bite for the road if the hunter didn’t make it.” Dean countered, standing up. He was always the cynical one.

“Well, If we find out who the other hunter is, maybe we could get a clear description of the other vamps.” Sam was getting hopeful like he always did when they were coming closer to finding out who the monster was. “And we’ll have extra hands if the nest is big.”

Before Dean could reply, Jack cut in, “I was of the impression other hunters didn’t like you.” His innocent demeanor helped make what he was saying less mean, but Dean was still irked. 

“We have  _ friends _ ,” Dean tried to argue, sounding much like a five year old. “We can work with other people fine enough. We’re... likable.” Sam snickered beside him.

Jack leaned down to the body and started sniffing it, making Sam and Dean raise an eyebrow. “What the hell are you doing?” Dean asked.

“I smell something...  _ weird  _ about him,” Jack started explaining. “He doesn’t smell human.”

The hunters shared a look. “He’s a vamp, he shouldn’t smell human?” Sam spoke softly, trying to figure out what Jack meant. “Also he’s dead, so he probably smells different, even if he were human.” 

“And you’re letting him drive.” Dean retorted.

“ _ No _ . It’s not that. He smells  _ different _ . There’s something here that smells…   _ different _ .” Sam and Dean could feel Jack was starting to get frustrated. And when he did, things could get a little crazy.

“Calm down, Jack,” Sam used his gentle voice again, pulling him into a side hug. “everything’s okay.” Jack broke the hug first. He looked beyond rattled at whatever he had caught a whiff of. “We’ll leave right now.”

“I’ve smelled it before. I don’t like it.” Sam gave him a sympathetic smile, and Dean even gave him a pat on the shoulder. The boys started making their way to the door.

“I told you something was up here,” Dean chastised. “First the creepy lady, who might I mention, is  _ still  _ staring at us, and second, Jack goes crazy after smelling who knows what.” They reached the front door, pushing it open and continuing towards the Impala, trying to ignore the womens eyes on the backs of their heads. 

“I’m not disagreeing with you, man.” Sam said when they reached the car, getting into shotgun. 

“I’m driving,” Dean told Jack. Jack didn’t argue and slide into the backseat. “Let’s go check into the motel, we can all take a breather, then we’ll go down to the police station.” He flipped on the radio, AC/DC blasting through the speakers. The impala pulled away from the curve and down street -- out of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always the next one should come out in a few weeks.
> 
> Make sure to comment and leave kudos. It will really help me pop these out faster. And don't forget to bookmark, so you know when the next chapter come out!
> 
> To see more of moi, follow @shoeless_sam on Instagram! I post edit every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I will also post update and news related to this story on there.
> 
> Have a great day!! :D
> 
> Yes, I'm Destiel trash


	3. Pool Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's pool day for the boys! But that's not all they have in store -- things are about to get a little more complicated.

Dean pulled the Impala into the parking lot of another crappy motel. It was the type of place that had been around since the 80’s, if not longer. The neon sign that hung over the place was partly out, the small pool had a suspicious green tint, and the paint was chipping on the outside of the building. It was no bunker, but they’d stayed at worse places. 

The boys got out, making their way to the check-in office. The sun was beating down on them by now. Dean pushed open the creaky old door, setting off the welcome chime; holding it open for Sam and Jack. On cue, a man came out from another room. He was older, with grey hair and a little extra around the waist , but he had a wide smile on his face.

“Room, please,” Dean stated, pulling out his wallet. “Two beds.” He slipped out a couple twenties, and laid them out on the counter. 

The old man looked between Sam and Dean before offering a knowing smile. “Family vacation?”

Sam was quick to correct him, “No, no. Not like that. The kid just doesn’t sleep much.”

Dean started laughing. Even after thirteen years, Sam still acted uncomfortable whenever anyone assumed they were a couple. “Not quite a vacation, anyway,” Dean chatted. “More like a family trip.” Sam shot him a bitch-face. 

The man nodded as he handed the change back to Dean and the key to their room. “Have fun.” He smiles as he returned to the back room.

Once they made it outside, Sam turned to the older hunter. “So you have no problem playing along with someone that we’re a couple, but when Cas is brought up--”

“Cas is different, man. It’s Cas,” Dean started arguing, all playfulness from before fully gone. He started walking again. 

Sam started laughing, now enjoying the conversation. “No, totally different. Cause you actually--”

“Shut up.” It was taking all of his control, not to punch his brother in the face.

It could have been much sooner for Dean, but finally they reached the room. Dean fumbled with the lock a bit -- 

Another crappy motel room for the history books.. Standard cream paint, dirty carpet with “suspicious” stains, and bedding that could use a few washes. But nonetheless, it reminded them of their childhood. 

Dean threw his bag onto the bed closest to the door,claiming it. He walked straight towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna take a shower,” he mumbled, barely waiting for the door to close. And soon enough, the water turned on.

Sam threw his stuff on the other bed, sitting on the edge. He gestured for Jack to come over. Once Jack sat down next to him, Sam pulled out his laptop from his bag. He opened a previous tab with a map on it. “So I got the location of the police station, and we can head over whenever we’re ready.”

“Are Dean and Castiel really...” Jack spoke softly, trailing off at the end. He was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

“No,” Sam clarified. “It was a joke. Even if they did like each other, neither would say anything to the other.” He gave a small laugh. His mind briefly drifted to thoughts of Jessica. It had been a long time since he’d seen her, or even thought about her, but she was always there. Her smile, her hair, her eyes. 

“So they don’t like each other?” Sam pushed the thoughts away, focusing on Jack.

“I don’t really know. Neither of them would ever say anything to me,” Sam chatted. “They’re kind of like little kids. Too nervous to talk about their first crush.”

Jack nodded slowly, trying to process what he was told. “What is it like to have a crush?” Right, few month old in a who-knows-how-old body. He’s never even had a crush, or probably even thought someone was cute.

Sam let the thoughts of Jess come flooding back; how their mutual friend Brady had set them up on a blind date that went surprisingly well, their first official date that wasn’t set up by a demon, the hesitant first kiss, and later on moving in together. “It’s like a new feeling, a pull towards someone. You just can’t get over them. They’ll stay with you forever, even if they aren’t here anymore.”

“But what is it like?”

Sam took in a deep breath, trying to hold back years of repressed emotions thinking of Jess like this. “It’s innocent flirting, hidden in simple words. Standing a bit too close to each other so there hands brush against each other. Or staring at the other when they aren’t looking. Doing something nice, even if simple, for them at random times. That’s what it’s like.”

Jack nodded again, but didn’t ask anymore questions as Dean walked back into the room. His hair was wet now, slightly brushed. But the most surprising thing was his outfit; swim trunks. 

At Sam’s confused expression, he explained, “I realized we almost never go swimming. Jack’s never gone; it could be fun.” Sam raised his eyebrows. “Fine -- I don’t want to talk to you anymore, so I’m going to avoid you by swimming. Care to join? No talking though.”

“We have a case to work on,” Sam reminded him. “We still need to go to the police station, find out where the vamp nest is. We don’t have time, Dean.”

“You need to chill out, and what’s a better solution than swimming?” Dean announced triumphantly, walking towards the door. “I’ll meet you out there!”

Sam sighed, turning his attention back towards Jack. “I don’t want to make decisions for you. Do you want to go swimming?”

Jack looked down at his lap, pondering. “It’s okay.” He looked a little disappointed, and Sam knew what he had to do.

“No, come on. You haven’t gone yet, and besides, swimming is important.”

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

It took twenty minutes for Sam and Jack to finally come out to the pool. Jack didn’t have any swim trunks, but he had some shorts that Sam assured him were okay to wear in the pool. Dean had somehow found a pool floatie and was lazily resting on it.

“Lounging isn’t exactly swimming,” Sam chuckled, walking up to the edge of the pool. “Also, where did you find that thing?”

Dean pointed to somewhere a little off from the pool. “Over there. And don’t worry, I can still crush you in cannon ball contests.” He tried to gracefully get off the flotation device, but failed miserably, falling into the water. That got Sam to laugh.

“ _ Sure you can, _ ” Sam said as the older hunter lifted himself out of the pool. “I’m not a twelve year old anymore.”

“I’m still the big brother, Sammy.” A playful, genuine, smile crossed Dean’s face, the one seldomly used and only for very happy occasions. “Watch and learn, Jack.” Dean ran up to the pool, curling up in a ball, and hoping to whatever gods out there had their ears on that it would go well. It was awesome, in Dean’s opinion -- which could have been a little biased.

When he emerged, Sam was slow clapping for him. He responded by flipping him off, before swimming to the edge of the pool and lifting himself out. 

“Let’s see you do better, Sammy.” Sam walked around to the deep side of the pool. Sam did the same thing; jumping with maximum effort, creating a splash big enough to hit Jack and Dean, and got out of the pool.

“So I think it’s pretty clear who won.” Sam joked, when he was standing by the other boys again. “Jack, you want to give it a try?”

Jack hesitated, “Sure.” He mirrored the older boys movements from before. He slowly walked around the pool to the deep end, and took a running start. His form could use a lot of work, but he didn’t hit the cement.

There was a lengthy silence after Jack’s splash as the boys waited for him to come up for air. “He’s taking his time underwater,” Dean pointed out. He craned his neck to try and get a better look. Jack was almost sitting at the bottom of the pool.

Sam looked as well, studying the scene. “It’s his first time in a pool, probably just getting used to it.” 

After another long second, Dean asked, “You did tell him about drowning and the importance of not doing that, right?”

Sam ran a hand through his hair. “No, no I didn’t.” The two hunters rushed to the pool’s edge. “Can Nephilim drown?”

Dean sighed, “I don’t know, but I don’t really think we should sit around and find out.” Dean dove into the water before Sam could respond. The pool wasn’t deep -- only 8 feet -- so Dean was able to reach Jack quickly.

He pulled him up by his left arm to the edge of the pool. Dean pushed Jack out of the pool and then got himself out. When Sam and Dean squatted at his side ready to perform CPR, he blinked up at them with wide eyes. Dean -- feeling very perturbed -- began his lecture; “You scared us half to death. What would we have done if you got yourself killed?!”

“I don’t really--” Jack started explaining, before Dean cut him off. 

“I’m not finished.” Sam scoffed and Dean turned to him. “You think this is funny, Sammy?” Sam held his hands up in surrender. Dean turned his attention back to Jack, who looked a little terrified. “Look, we haven’t lost you yet and I don’t plan to. Coming back to life isn’t fun or easy. I’ve seen Sam and Cas die more times than I would ever like to have, and each time it’s just as bad. We can’t lose you too.”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Jack spoke softly. He looked down at his bare feet, and Dean knew he had to reel in his anger.

“It’s not your fault. We didn’t tell you about breathing.” Dean was about to give him a hug, but with Sam standing there he decided against it. “Can you even drown?”

Jack thought for a moment, “I don’t think so, I’m not sure.” Dean nodded slowly.

“I’ll ask Cas on the way to the station.” Jack’s face fell a little. “We can hang out here a little longer, they’ll be open for a while.”

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

“So apparently Nephilim can’t drown, but they do breathe. Angel are weird, man,” Dean announced from the passenger’s seat -- which he willing chose so he could be the one to call Cas, though he’d never admit it. 

Dean was also tired from the pool day they had, so it was probably good Sam was driving. ‘A little longer’ ended up being hours, but it was the most fun the boys had had in awhile. But now, it was late afternoon as Sam pulled the car into the police station’s parking lot.

“Part angel,” Sam corrected. Dean couldn’t contain his sigh.  _ Sam, always making sure the facts were said.  _

Dean was about retort, when the building in front of them caught his attention. “Ok, fine. But the lights are off.”

Sam and Jack -- who had been absently staring out the window -- looked towards the building as well. The younger hunter looked at the Impala’s built-in clock. “It is six o’clock on a Sunday.” On Dean’s blank expression, Sam explained further, “Well, it is the weekend. And It’s supposed to be like God’s day, you’re not really supposed to work much.”

“Why would Chuck want a day? Or care if people take it off?” Dean quipped. And Sam just shrugged in response.

Jack’s voice caught the boy’s off guard, “Who’s Chuck?” He was still staring out the window, but his face contorted into his thinking face.

Sam decided to explain it to Jack, since he could ease into the subject slower than Dean. “Well, I know you think of Cas as your dad, but Lucifer is your biological dad. As you know. And Lucifer, and Cas, have a dad. You might know about him..?”

“Yes. God,” Jack answered straight to the point. 

“Exactly. And because he’s your dad’s dad, he’s your grandfather.” Jack nodded slowly, prompting Sam to continue, “We’ve met your grandfather, but he likes to go by ‘Chuck’.”

“Is he… good?” It was a sad fact to Sam and Dean that each time Jack heard about someone or was meeting them for the first time, he had to ask if they could be trusted or not. Even his own grandfather couldn’t be trusted right away.

Dean answered this time, remembering back to the weird, slightly scrawny man who created everything, “Yes, he is a very good non-human guy.”

Jack went quiet, but it was clear he wanted to say something. “What is it?” Sam asked softly.

“Do you think I’ll ever get to meet him?” The impala grew quiet as the boys tried to figure out the best answer. It was hard to tell how long his trip with Amara was going to last, since an apocalypse didn’t make him show up.

“Yeah, one day. You’ll meet him one day,” Dean answered. He didn’t leave time for the other boys to respond as he got out of the Impala. 

Sam smiled to himself, Dean was warming up to Jack. Slowly but surely. “Come on, Jack. We’ve got work to do.”

The boys got out of the car, and had to sprint to catch up to Dean who was already walking towards the building. 

“But I thought it was closed,” Jack wondered.

“Sometimes to get cases done, you have break some rules,” Dean grinned, obviously proud of himself. And huffed when he saw Sam’s bitchface directed at him. “Today we just have to break in. Simple lock picking.”

“Stop promoting breaking the law -- part of our job or not,” Sam reminded.

They finally reached the doors, and Dean leaned down to pick the lock. He pulled a paper clip out of his pocket and pushed it into lock. Immediately, it felt loose. “Or maybe we don’t need to break in.” Dean stood back up and gently pushed the door. Without any trouble, it opened.

“Someone’s here,” Jack stated. Concern filled his face, as he walked closer. Dean stopped him before he could go inside. “I smell something. That smell from earlier.”

“Okay, stick close,” Sam said, leading them inside. He had his hand on the trigger, which he was lucky he remembered to grab. They weren’t exactly planning on someone else being here. 

The building was dark, beams of light coming through sparse windows the only thing allowing them to see. It appeared abandoned, but Sam and Dean knew better than to trust the silence. Dean walked over to the front desk and leaned over, looking for any bodies. Once he made sure there weren’t, his nerves calmed. If there were bodies, then they would have had to come more prepared.

A crash from somewhere in the building caught the boys’ attention. With Dean in front this time, they slowly made their way down the first hallway. A soft glow came from a partially open door at the end of the hallway. 

Sam and Dean made sure to walk on their heels, so they made less sound. An old hunter’s tip their dad had taught them forever ago. Dean stopped them before they were within earshot of the door, and whispered to Jack, “Walk on your heels, they won’t hear you as easy. And just -- stay safe. Both of you.”

They hesitantly walked towards the door. The hunters’ hands on their triggers, and Jack ready use his powers. Dean reached the door, taking a moment to steady himself before he went into the room. He lifted his gun so it would be at chest level to whoever was on the other side.

His shoes squeaking on the tiled floors as he rounded the corner. Big green eyes stared back at him from the petite girl in front of him. He would have lowered his gun, if she wasn’t pointing one straight back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always the next one should come out in a few weeks.
> 
> Make sure to comment and leave kudos. It will really help me pop these out faster. And don't forget to bookmark, so you know when the next chapter come out!
> 
> To see more of moi, follow @shoeless_sam on Instagram! I post 3 edits a week (photo and video). I will also post update and news related to this story on there.
> 
> Have a great day!! :D
> 
> Also; the boys might be heroes to us, and they are, they've save the world when God wouldn't. But today is about honoring the real heroes, who gave up their lives to others. This chapter is in special dedication to the real fallen heroes who died in 9-11.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! I hope you enjoyed this. The next chapter should come out soon, probably in a few weeks depending on my busy schedule.
> 
> Make sure to comment and leave kudos. It will really help me pop these out faster. And don't forget to bookmark, so you know when the next chapter come out!
> 
> To see more of moi, follow @shoeless_sam on Instagram! I post edit every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I will also post update and news related to this story on there.
> 
> Have a great day!! :D


End file.
